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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · coach · fork · hand · bore · perch · branch · press

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. fork — in a road
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bore — to tire
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. press — to push
  7. bore — to drill
  8. press — a publisher
  9. perch — the fish
  10. press — newspapers
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. branch — a division
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. hand — help
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. hand — in cards
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. coach — a trainer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com